“I told you that not even Man Alexander could order me since I gave my love to you,” Copper said smugly as she peered over the edge of the pit, a chunk of lava gripped in one small capable hand. “Maybe this proves it.”
“Douglas isn’t Alexander,” Kennon said slowly as he picked up the blaster, “but I believe you.”
“Didn’t I act convincingly?” she said brightly.
“Very,” he said. “You fooled me completely.”
“The important thing was that I fooled Douglas.”
“You did that all right. Now let’s get him out of that pit.”
“Why?”
“The jet blast will fry him when we take off.”
“What difference would that make?”
“I told you,” Kennon said, “that I never destroy things unnecessarily—not even things like Douglas.”